Trust. Not-for-profit leaders have joined the crescendo of recent talk about having it, losing it, and building it. The latest numbers show trust declines in the NFP sector where individuals and organizations are investing their hard-earned funds, seeking positive change. ... Read More
Most everyone has received one of those dreaded notices that delivers ominous news. “Your personal information has been compromised.” No matter how they say it, our thoughts race to the implications and how quickly we can act to mitigate the damage. ... Read More
Many donors will say they aren’t motivated by recognition, but despite their claim their gifts can be influenced by it. I’ve worked in various forms of fundraising for a couple of decades and have experienced nearly every form of recognition. ... Read More
Donor retention should be high on everyone’s list. After all, it costs much more to acquire a new donor than it does to retain an existing one. Yet, The Fundraising Effectiveness Project cites that the average retention rate is just under 44%. So what are nonprofit organizations doing wrong?... Read More
“The customer is always right.” That mantra was instilled in me early on at my first job in high school. It was in small-business retail which emphasized service and the importance of our customers. ... Read More
It’s time for your next nonprofit board meeting. Are you feeling anticipation? Excited? Anxious? Dreadful? Hopeful? I’ve felt all of those, sometimes more deeply than others. It accompanied board service as a volunteer and running a nonprofit as paid staff for decades. ... Read More
Time management. There are probably more ideas for approaching this behemoth than there are minutes in a year, 525,600. Sorry to trigger that song for the “Rent” fans out there. However, there are pivotal moments that form a foundation for getting more things done effectively and efficiently, whether you are carrying out multiple tasks at home, work for a nonprofit, or in the corporate world.... Read More
Working in various capacities with nonprofits from small to large for a few decades I’ve seen a great deal. Surprisingly, “the more things have changed the more they’ve stayed the same,” a quote from 1849 attributed to French writer, Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr. ... Read More
We love to talk about our teams, and I’m not referencing the Colts and Pacers despite lessons to be learned from them. I’m talking about our project teams, work teams, fundraising teams, sales teams, and special event teams. Despite our packaging of the “teams” analogy, the irony is they are often not functioning as the name implies. So how do we bridge that gap and bring the team together?... Read More
I have seen the look of dread on the faces of nonprofit staff as they anticipate "the same questions" from their boards. Board members are often uncertain of the proper questions to ask or worse yet are motivated by agendas. Donors have questions we might not have anticipated or had the opportunity to answer. ... Read More
